The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1887-11-10
WATER SUPPLY OF THE SCHOOLS.
The Board Finds that Better Quality Is
Needed at Several Of the Buildings.

The scarcity of the water supply at many of
the school buildings, and the opinion of the ply
sieians that much of the we'll water is impure
and contains disease germs, prompted a special
meeting of the School Board last night to con.
slider the ACCESSIBILITY of providing a better sup
ply of water for the use of school children. 81.
c. Hendrickson. the building and supply agent,
submitted a communication, in which he said:
During the summer vacation the platforms
were all removed from the dry wells. and thor
oueh investigation made of their con-
dition The platforms were tEen replaced
by laying with cement. Since that time
it has become necessary to deepen quite a num-
Der of the wells by substituting driven wells
There driven wells at the following n FAMED
school-houses: Nos. 4, 10, a. 9, 3d. "a, 25, &C. 27
and %. OF these only 26 and % are deep water
indifferent at No. %. High-school No 1, and
Nos 2 and IL have been supplied from the
water-works. An examination of the deep wells
shows poor success in Obtaining pure water in
the central and southern parts of the city. This
is the result OF nearness to vaults and other i'm
purites. The wells at the following buildings
r. 6. 13, %. 20 and 80 In October. 1885,
the Board of Health made an investigation
of the water supply of the schools and submit
ted the water from many wells to analysis.
However, since that time many of the defects
have been remedied. The result of that investi-
cation showed that six out of the ten wells ex-
chemist totally unfit for An analysis by
j. N Hurty, the chemist. pronounces the water
supplied by the Indianapolis company absolutely
pure"
At the conclusion Of the reading of the COM
munication the Water-works Company submit
ted q proposition to furnish water at school
houses at cents per head for the children
enrolled. The company agreed to Law
the necessary mains, and charge the
board only for the cost of the labor. Mr..
Frenzel moved that the matter be referred to a
special committee, and the resolution brought
a general discussion of the subject. Mr..
Kline said he would like to have it dem onstrated
that the water in use was really bad. and
caneering the life of any, before he made any
changes. DIR. Jameson did not pretend to know
of the necessity of providing better water, but,
speaking from q medical stand -point assured the
board that ''ounce of prevention worth a
pound of cure" and if the water
really bad it's should be stopped at once.
Mr.. Bamberger said he was opposed to taking
water from the Water-works Company because it
was unfit for drinking purposes in the summer.
DR.. Jameson called the atten ton of the board to
the fact that before taking action it should in
vestigate the purity OF the water-works water,
and not rely upon the company chemist and
this suggestion was Endorsed by Mr.. Frenzel.
The motion to refer the matter a committee
Was passed, and President Conner appointed
Messrs. Jameson, Bamberger and Vonnegut as
the committee. which was instructed to make a
thorough investigation of the purity of the water
in use, and report at the next regular meeting.